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Elston, coming along, saw it and
picked it up. It was a pocketbook
and it was filled with bank notes. For
a moment the drink-bleared eyes
glowed with covetousness. Then Els
ton thrust it out of sight inside his
coat, muttering:
"No, I won't be a thief if I am a
drunken wreck. Pearce spoke high
to me. m be a man," and half an
hour later he reached the office of
the young lawyer and returned the
pocketbook.
"Whew!" whistled Pearce, for the
first moment aware of his loss.
"There's $1,200 mortgage money
paid me by a farmer. I say "
He was petrified at the simple hon
esty of this lost soul. He pulled Els
ton into his private office.
"Old fellow," he said gratefully,
"you've got to let me repay this big
act .of yours. The woman who keeps
m office in order has a neat little
home. I'm going to get you a room
there. YouTl have the best of care.
Rest for a week and let me put you
on your feet"
"No use, I'm afraid,' 'returned Els
ton dejectedly. "I can't bear to be
shut up. I'm afraid of the tremens"
and want to be where I can get the
drink if I begin to see things."
For a long time Pearce pleaded
with the poor unfortunate. At length
Elston said:
"I'll-try it on one condition."
"And what is that?"
"You trust me."
"I guess I will,' after your, bringing
back that lost pocketbook." '
'I want you to buy me a quart bot
tle of whiskey. I want to keep it by
my side. On my honor, I will not
touch a drop of it unless I feel ihe
"tremens coming on. It will help me
out to know I've got it if I reach the
limit of endurance."
"Done!" cried Pearce, "nd I know
you'll conquer."
Elston did. At the end of a week,
once more clothed again in his right
.mind, he took a walk with Pearce. As
Lthey reached a quiet spot he took out
1 the bottle. Its contents wre Intact.
He gave it a fling against rock and
it shivered into a thousand pieces.
"That's the end of drink for me,"
he said, quietly but determinedly.
Now a queer thing came about.
Pearce got to questioning Elston
about his past He found that this
only living relative was a sister, a
milliner in a town 50 miles distant
Elston had kept away from hr on ac
count of his drinking. Pearce sug
gested that he go and see the sister.
"I've got an uncle living in Mar
den," he explained. "I'll get you work
there. You will be happier and safer
near your sister."
The first moment Pearce set his
eyes on Dorothy Elston, the pretty
milliner, with her sweet winning'
ways, he fell in love with her. He
got his old uncle in Harden to em
ploy Elston. The uncle was an ec
centric recluse, something of a scien
tist and had a vast' collection of
curios and was a good deal of a
naturalist
r Two months went by. Pearce made
a- good many visits to Marden.' He
got on famously with Dorothy Elston,
and her brother was keeping away
from strong drink. His employer had
sent him awav from town on a niis
sion of importance one evening, and
Pearce stayed with his uncle that
night leaving early in the morning
before his uncle was awake.
Serious news reached him in his
own town before nightfall. His uncle
had been robbed of a large amount
of jewelry. The fact of Pearce being
at the house and leaving as he did,
led to gossip, and then suspicion.
"Elston could prove that he was ab
sent when the old man, now turned
sour and suspicious, Had been robbed.
The latter did not prosecute, but he
ignored his nephew and former heir
after that
Elston returned to Marden greatly
perturbed over the charge that af
fected the man who had been his best
friend. All one day he prowled about
the old house, trying to figure, out
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